HABITS OF THE LION. 19 



to smother their cries, and carry them to the edge of the 

 woods, where men are awaiting them with horses, and then 

 putting the cubs before them on the saddle, they fly like the 

 wind towards the open country. This kind of poaching, as 

 well may be imagined, is no very safe amusement Among 

 other examples I will cite the following : — 



During the month of March, 1840, a lioness had deposited 

 her little ones in a wood called M Gutla, near the mountain 

 of Mezioun, in the country of Zerdezahs. The chief of the 

 country, Zeiden, made an appeal for help to his neighbor, 

 Sedek-ben — Oumbark sheik, of the tribe of JBeni Fourral, and 

 upon a given day, thirty men from each of the two tribes 

 came together upon the peak of Mezioun, at the break of day. 

 These sixty Arabs, after having surrounded the woods, and 

 vainly attempted to rouse the lioness, by repeated hurrahs, 

 penetrated the thicket where she had concealed her offspring 

 and brought out two young whelpa. 



This wonderful success pleased the Arabs greatly, and they 

 were retiring carelessly to their tents, carrying the cubs with 

 them, and thinking that they had nothing more to fear, 

 when the sheik JSedek, being a little behind the others, saw 

 the lioness rushing out of the woods directly at him. He 

 hastily called his nephew, Mecaoud, and his friend, Ali-ben- 

 Braham, who ran to his assistance. The lioness, instead, of 

 attacking the sheik, who was on horseback, bounded on the 

 nephew, who was on foot. The young man bravely faced the 

 coming foe with his gun to his shoulder, and did not press 

 the trigger until the animal was at gun's length, but the cap 

 exploded without firing the piece. 



